Heel retainer for low shoes



A. M. BARREL.

HEEL RETAINER FOR LOW SHOES.

APPLlCATION FILED ocr. I9. 1920.

1,408,721. I Patented Mar 7,1922.

IN VEN TOR. flLEX/QNDER M CiE/EEL BY 01 {M ATTORNEY ALEXANDER M. CARREL, 016 SAN FRANCISCD,'GALIFORNIA.

HEEL RETAINER FOR LOW SHOES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

- Patented Mar. '7, 1922.

Application filed October 19, 1920. Serial No. 418,061.

T 0 aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Anaxannnn M. CAnnnL, a itizen of the United States, residing at San l-rancisco,in the county of San Francisco and State of California, haveinvented a new and useful Improvement in Heel Retainers for Low Shoes, of which the ioll0wing is a specification.

This invention relates to a heel retainer for low shoes and has for its object to pro vide an attachable member for low shoes which will be economical to manufacture and be readily fitted into place in various sized. shoes and act positively and firmly to hold the shoe in place on the heel of the wearer and, at the same time, will not be liable to chafe or injure the foot in any way.

it has heretofore been suggested to proride elastic bands to aid in retaining low s iocs or pumps in place on the heel of the wearer, but none, so far as T am aware, have been practicable or satisfactory. They are generally secured in place by sewing their ends to the lining or counter of the shoe, and therefore have to be put in place either at the time the shoe is manufactured, or by a cobbler or other person experienced in such work. It is of the utmost importance that such devices be so designed as to permit their being made and sold separately and consequently they should be capable of being readily and easily titted into the shoe by any person without delay or, trouble. Moreover,

such prior devices as I am familiar with have been so arranged as to cause undue pressure to be applied to the ridge of the heel bone, and even then these prior elastic bands not being anchored at their middle portions, allow a certain amount ol looseuess and permit the shoe to work up and down quite freely on the heel.

In the present invention I provide a carrier strip, preferably, though not necessarily, made of leather. and this is shaped so as to fit the heel portion of the shoe and adapted to be held in place therein in any suitable manner, but preferably by some adhesive, such as cement. This carrier is fitted with an elastic band whose ends are secured thereto and whose intermediate portion passes beneath a tab out in the carrier strip. T he band is somewhat shorter than the carrier strip so that when the latter is fixed in place in the shoe the band will be stretched to span the heel of the shoe not at the rear but at each side thereof. 'Thereby the foot of the wearer is engaged by the band at the hollow or concave part at each side of the heel. In this way no ridges or projections are presented that would be liable to inflict painful pressure on the heel, and the shoe will be firmly and positively held in place. In addition the counter of the shoe will be re inforced by the presence of the carrier strip and the shoe will be held against sagging or breaking down at the heel portion.

There are other objects and advantages which will become apparent on the further examination of my invention. .One form which my invention may assume 1S exemplified in the following description and llustrated in the accompanying drawmg, in which Fig. 1 shows a plan view of a low shoe with my attachment in place in the heel portion thereof.

2 shows a side elevation partly in section of the shoe and attachment illustrated in Fig. 1, and

Fig. 3 shows a side elevation of the heel retainer member separate from the shoe.

Referring more in detail to the accompanying drawing, 1 show pump or low shoe fitted inside its heel portion with my improved heel retaining device. The latter, as

shown in Fig. 8, preferably comprises a leather strip or carrier 10 shaped to fit the heel portion of the shoe and carrying an elastic band 11. This band is stretched across the face of the carrier and is fastened at its ends thereto by being passed through slits 12 in the carrier and secured in any suitable manner, as by sewing to the inside of the carrier. Intermediate its ends the band is passed beneath a tab 13 which is formed on the carrier by slitting the latter and thereby the part of the elastic band disposed adjacent theridge of the heel bone is securely anchored and is held out of contact with this part of the heel. The carrier, with the band applied, constitutes a complete and merehantable article and is adapted to be sold by shoe dealers and others for ready use and attachment to any and all sizes of low shoes.

The carrier is fitted into the heel part of the shoe and fastened therein preferably by cement or other adhesive. The elastic band is somewhat shorter than the carrier, so that when the latter is fixed in place the band will be stretched across the heel portion of the shoe from the point at the rear to each side thereof, as shown in Fig. 1. Thereby the part of the heel engaged, by the band will not, as in prior'devices,he the tender ridge of the heel bone but rather the somewhat muscular and hollow portion at each side of the heel. Also by anchoring the band at the rear it will not have the upand-down play it otherwise would have,'and consequently the shoe will he held more firmly in place. 7

- The carrier can be made of thin leather and tapered and trimmed at its edges so as not to present any ridges or projections that would be liable to produce uncomfortable pressure in the heel of the wearer.

This carrier strip will serve also to reinforce that part of the heel of the shoe known as the counter, and prevent sagging and wrinkling thereof. In fact, it will restore to original shape counters which have already become sagged or broken down through wear.

The exposed parts of the elastic band form in effect a chord which joins the extremities of the: are at each side of the center of the heel of the shoe. For this reason, the band fits in the natural concavity of the heel of the foot, and its presence is scarcely felt, while, at the same time, it will have a strong gripping and holding effect.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Pat out is Y 1. An attachment to fit within the heel portion of a low shoe to retain the shoe in place on the foot of t a carrier strip adapted to be secured inside the heel portion and an elastic band stretched ne wearer, comprising along the face thereof and secured thereto at each end and at the nnddle, thereby forming a chord near each extremity of the carrier strip for the purpose of engaging the heel of the wearer at each side of the heelbone.

2. An attachment to fit Withinthe heel portion of a low shoe to retain the shoe in place on the foot of the wearer comprising a carrier strip adapted to be fastened within the shoe, and a band stretched across the face thereof and having its ends passing through slits in the oarrier and secured to the latter at the under side thereof and having its middle portion passing beneath a tab formed b slitting the material of the carrier strip, the exposed parts of the band forming chords to engage the heel of the wearer at each side of the heel-bone.

3. An attachment to fit within the hee portion of a low shoe to retain the shoe in place on the foot of the wearer, comprising a leather carrier strip adapted to be fastened inside the heel portion of the shoe by adhesive, and an elastic band stretched across the face of the strip and secured thereto at its ends and middle portion, said band forming chords near the extremities of the carrier strip to engage the heel of the wearer at each side.

in testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ALEXANDER M. (BARREL.

Witnesses RoennrE. SrLAINn, W. E. BLA'rT. 

